Vegas with miles advice

Hi All,

Am looking at Vegas in 2011 for Jan/Feb/Mar time for 4-5 days using miles for 2 Upper Class tickets - whats the likelihood as have looked now for this Jan/Feb/Mar to get an idea and there is nothing for Upper for these months only Economy... I am finding it harder and harder to spend these miles and am not spending them on economy.

Appreciate your feedback! Thanks.

[Nottingham Nick]

Lots of people have had the same problem, and the advice has always been to look at going indirect via LAX or SFO, then getting a cheap internal flight to Vegas.

That way, you get much better availability, the LHR clubhouse, revivals and (hopefully) V-Port.

Nick

I was afraid you were going to say that... sigh...

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.

go via San Fran - Heathrow clubhouse, and you get to enjoy Virgin America which is a novelty - and currently only about 35 each way.

Will take a look at that now... thanks.

I would imagine that you are not finding any UC reward seats for this year because they were all taken up months ago. so don't get downhearted.

forgot to say, seats generally put on sale 11 months in sdvance too so best thing to do is keep checking week by week

[HighFlyer]

Vegas is one of the harder routes to find availability in UC. Its not impossible but it is hard, especially at peak times. Keep checking but if there is availability VIA SFO or LAX I would definitely book that instead!

Thanks,
Sarah

[Scrooge]

PE isn't to bad to get to Vegas, but UC, it's not easy, I know it adds a couple of hours traveling time, but look at going through SFO/LAX as other have said.

Hi -

Funnily enough, we booked UC reward flights just a few days ago - there were none for Vegas (there never are as it's such a prime route and there are only 14 seats in the UC cabin), so we are fling to LAX and driving. We've done this a few times - it's a fun drive! You could always get a cheap jetblue flight (probably around $80 each way), but there's the issue of luggage - we never travel light!

Thanks everyone for the helpful feedback, will let you know what I do in the coming months.

[Scrooge]

quote:Originally posted by davidct1


We've done this a few times - it's a fun drive! You could always get a cheap jetblue flight (probably around $80 each way), but there's the issue of luggage - we never travel light!


Jetblue don't fly between LA and Vegas, or for that matter SFO and Vegas, you have to go through Long beach.

Southwest is the easy choice for flying.

Word of warning - make sure you get it all on one ticket because if the Virgin flight is delayed, and you miss the internal one you'll be protected in terms of rebooking etc

quote:Originally posted by Scrooge

Southwest is the easy choice for flying.


I have never flown to LAS direct for a holiday so another vote here to go via LAX/SFO (Virgin America from SF are brilliant and Southwest from LAX are a great airline) or Thelma and Louise it and drive!

[:X]

I would fly into LA and drive, probably spending a night or two in LA; then fly LAS-SFO-LHR. On the way back the SF clubhouse is a must.

I have been trying for 6 months to get to LV UC using miles - no luck
Have gone via SF or not at all

since my previous post tried using miles to to to LAX in August (6 months hence) - not able to upgrade or pay the full amount on miles in UC
It is getting more difficult to redeem miles

[Scrooge]

Give the FC a call and get them to check out the flight booking NZ reward seats.

quote:Originally posted by LiamRugby
go via San Fran - Heathrow clubhouse, and you get to enjoy Virgin America which is a novelty - and currently only about 35 each way.


Did the West Coast thing 16 months ago: flew VS to LAX, drove to Vegas, and then flew Virgin America to SFO for a few days before home to LHR.
Have to say the VX flight up front in 1st (big cream leather seats!) was superb, the service put our VS flights to shame [n], even got to go into the cockpit once we landed, haven't done that since I was a kid [:D].
The SFO Clubhouse was extremely good too, relatively compact but very friendly staff................

[;)]

quote:Originally posted by Nessy

Did the West Coast thing 16 months ago: flew VS to LAX, drove to Vegas, and then flew Virgin America to SFO for a few days before home to LHR.
Have to say the VX flight up front in 1st (big cream leather seats!) was superb, the service put our VS flights to shame [n], even got to go into the cockpit once we landed, haven't done that since I was a kid [:D].
The SFO Clubhouse was extremely good too, relatively compact but very friendly staff................

[;)]



It's just a shame that your travelling companions were all completely dysfunctional [:p]. No I'm not being rude -he's my baby brother [:D] (and said jolly was the trip to celebrate his significant birthday)
Welcome to V-flyer.
DL

I did contact FC anfd they told me not able to use miles to upgrade etc
Booked flights anyway checked seats - empty apart from one other flyer - what is going on!
How can I spend my 200K + miles

[Neil]

quote:Originally posted by flyingdr
I did contact FC anfd they told me not able to use miles to upgrade etc
Booked flights anyway checked seats - empty apart from one other flyer - what is going on!
How can I spend my 200K + miles


Just because there are seats for sale, it does not mean that you can use miles for them. Only a certain number of miles seats are made available, this is controlled by revenue management, and if they are confident they can sell the remaining seats for money they will not release any more miles seats.

It is a pain but sadly Neil is right. I have spent all my miles now with VS - not on Mauritius or Vegas as I wanted (because no availablity for UC Reward flights) so instead gone for Nairobi (safari) and Vegas via SFO. I am at a point now though when I could change to miles collecting for BA instead - whats the consensus? Is BA just as painful for booking CW Reward flights as Virgin is for UC?

For what it's worth, I just managed to get an upgrade from W to G on LAS>LGW next week.. I've checked a few times since I made the original booking last November and it's always looked very full (just 1 J left last time I looked), so they must have had several cancellations to release the seat.

We must have been really lucky. My girlfriend and I wanted to go to Vegas for her 30th and checked a while back and there was no way of upgrading to UC using our miles.

I don't think our dates changed but whilst speaking to CS just before Xmas, they had 2 spots available on the date out of our choice, but nothing on the way back. So we snaffled them up there and then and settled for economy back. It's never a good idea to get TOO used to the finer things in life. Especially as we were finishing the week with 3 nights in a Lakeview Room at the Bellagio!

Am I right in thinking that any Upgrades or Companion Flights need to be booked over the phone rather than online? I certainly couldn't find a way to do it all online unless I was missing something.